ND goods easily found on Web site

April 23, 2006|LISA KOCHANOWSKI Tribune Correspondent

NOTRE DAME When following some of the best football and basketball teams in the nation a person wants to have authentic team wear and the University of Notre Dame Catalog Fulfillment Center is where people can find it. To make becoming Irish even easier, all goods offered in the catalog are now available online at www.ndcatalog.com and/or www.ndbookstore.com. "You can find textbooks, general trade books, special order gifts, apparel and gifts," said Jim Whited, manager of the University of Notre Dame Catalog Fulfillment Center, about all the different things the Web sites have to offer their visitors. "My thought is we're primarily there for those who can't come to campus," said Whited of the purpose of the Web site. He finds that many people want authentic University gear and this makes it easier for people to obtain that original merchandise with the click of a mouse. Using the Web site has become much more popular over the years, according to Whited, who noted that they pass out thousands of catalogs in the fall each year and then people can take those catalogs and order online when they return home from their trip to the University if they cannot get it at campus during their stay. "Any purchase they make, the proceeds go directly to the University so it's like you're giving back to the community," said Whited of another benefit of using the Web site. The other benefit of the Web site is that it is a place where students can purchase their textbooks. Books can either be delivered to the door of their dorm room or sent home to be something they can bring to school with them on the first day. Security of Web sites are very important to people when it comes to giving out personal information and Whited said the Notre Dame Web site uses state-of-the-art security measures to site rover make sure that all information is kept safe and confidential. The Web site customer service section is manned daily so anyone sending in questions via the Web site will get a quick turnaround for their answer. "We're there answering e-mails from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Any questions that come in we are there to answer," said Whited, who noted the great benefit of their office location so close to campus. For example, if a customer e-mails to find out what color the stitching is of a sweatshirt someone can just go to the warehouse, look at the stitching and give the customer an accurate and quick answer. A variety of event information is also available on the Web site, like story hours held at the bookstore, game information and book signings happening at the bookstore during football weekends. Whited and his staff have worked hard to create a Web site that is very user-friendly and feel that people of any level of computer experience will find the site easy to work around. "I hope that it feels like Notre Dame and that they feel like it's a great tool to get what they want," said Whited of his wish about how people view the Web site. "I want them to feel the site is easy to use and secure." make sure that all information is kept safe and confidential. The Web site customer service section is manned daily so anyone sending in questions via the Web site will get a quick turnaround for their answer. "We're there answering e-mails from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Any questions that come in we are there to answer," said Whited, who noted the great benefit of their office location so close to campus. For example, if a customer e-mails to find out what color the stitching is of a sweatshirt someone can just go to the warehouse, look at the stitching and give the customer an accurate and quick answer. A variety of event information is also available on the Web site, like story hours held at the bookstore, game information and book signings happening at the bookstore during football weekends. Whited and his staff have worked hard to create a Web site that is very user-friendly and feel that people of any level of computer experience will find the site easy to work around. "I hope that it feels like Notre Dame and that they feel like it's a great tool to get what they want," said Whited of his wish about how people view the Web site. "I want them to feel the site is easy to use and secure."